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Scooter Radio Program
Rosetta Kamlowsky Tapes
Gordon, Scherdean
Interview date: April 9, 1973 ( reel- to- reel is labeled 9- 9- 73)
( Tape Announcer: This is Rosetta’s program for April 9, 1973, recorded on track 2 in the
forward direction. First you will hear Rosetta interviewing Inspector Vern ( Glenn)
Gordon of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, the delayed tape broadcast, and then you
will hear Mildred Scherdean, from New York City, representative for Community
Concert Association, as interviewed in the studio by Rosetta.)
Rosetta: We’re going to look into it folks and see if it can’t be fixed. Maybe tomorrow
we’ll have better theme music for you and you won’t have to hold your ears with pain.
Maybe it didn’t bother anyone. Well, it’s Monday morning and it’s cold, April the 9th.
Ron: It’s 31 degrees.
Rosetta: It’s cold and it was cold yesterday. I really wanted to get out and do some yard
work. I had the working bug over the weekend and I didn’t.
Ron: Got up to 40 degrees.
Rosetta: Oh, it was cold outside yesterday. I know it was cold. Well the kids are all
back in school and this means that lots of moms are, yeah, Whoopee, as Ron says, sitting
back with a cup of coffee and relaxing this morning and that’s good. Everyone needs
some relaxation. Life doesn’t provide enough relaxation. Maybe we make our own tread
mills. Do you think so?
Ron: Very definitely, very definitely.
Rosetta: Yes. The windmills of our mind or the tread mills or whatever we have in our
life, we might create our own problems, our own way of life. Well today we’re going to
have on Scooter for you and I hope that you will listen because a very interesting man, a
charming man, Inspector Vern Gordon, who’s with the Royal Canadian Mounted Police,
or the Canadian Royal Mounted Police I guess that’s how I say it. And this is a very
prestigious group, very prestigious and has been for like a hundred years. And he tells
you about what he does up there in Canada, and we’re going to have Radio Remedies
where you call in, you may have some things stored up you want to talk about, Scooter
Scoop, and then later in the show we’ll have Mildred Scherdean down to talk about
what’s going to happen with our Community Concert season next year. Now here’s a
little something for you. Last week, Monday, a week ago today, we had Ruth Gleason on
with her Ice Box Muffin recipes and then we had no more announcements of the recipes
because we had what I term a heavy show week last week concerning people in crime.
So we didn’t mention it again. If you missed out on it, Ruth Gleason did give a recipe for
Ice Box Muffins last Monday. I have some left if you want to send a self- addressed
stamped envelope to me I’ll be happy to send you a copy of Ruth Gleason’s Ice Box
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Muffins and these muffins keep forever. I’ve made them and they’re so neat because you
can keep a big bowl full whipped up in the refrigerator and drag them out and make a few
muffins now and then whenever you want them. And so it is a good recipe. If you’d like
to have them send in a self addressed stamped envelope and I’ll mail it to you. Ron, if
you’re ready, I’m ready, for Inspector Vern Gordon.
Rosetta: Inspector Gordon, when we think of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police we
think of glamour and pomp and you’re beautiful in your red uniforms and the breeches,
and we think of you as being beautiful, glamorous people, but you do enforce the law.
Inspector Gordon: Yes, we’re policemen and we do the everyday police work across
Canada. Our force is a federal force, however, we have contracts with the provinces,
except for Ontario and Quebec, to do the provincial policing, which would be comparable
to your state police here in Montana.
Rosetta: Well, this is what I’d like you to do, to compare our law enforcement, the way
we have it here in the United States. We have state agencies and state police, but the
Royal Canadian Mounted Police are, they’re the federal. I mean, how does this work?
Inspector: Well, the force was constituted as a federal force, originally to maintain law
and order in the Northwest Territories. And we subsequently became responsible to
police eight of the ten provinces in the Northwest Territories and Yukon Territory. And
we carry out the policing within the province and enforce all provincial statutes and in
some municipalities we have contracts to enforce town policing. We don’t have the same
law enforcement set up you have in Montana, in that, for example, our sheriffs in Alberta
don’t enforce the criminal law. They’re more of a civil institution. And we enforce the
federal statutes right across Canada. In Ontario and Quebec we enforce the federal
statutes, although the provincial policing is done by a provincial police force. We’re also
responsible for the security of Canada as a federal force.
Rosetta: When you say you actually do policing in the towns, what does each town have
in Canada? What kind of law enforcement agency?
Inspector: Well, for example, in Lethbridge subdivision, we do the policing of all the
small towns under 1,500 on the provincial contract. Over 1,500 population the towns can
come to us and ask for a municipal contract and if we enter into an agreement with them
to police their town, we do all of the policing in that town. We don’t do licensing
bylaws, we don’t sell licenses or things like that at all, but we do the traffic enforcement,
liquor enforcement, criminal code and of the other duties, all law enforcement.
Rosetta: Do you carry a weapon?
Inspector: Yes, we carry a 38 Smith and Wesson revolver.
Rosetta: Where do I have in my mind that in, is it in England where they don’t carry
weapons? Is that right?
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Inspector: That’s correct.
Rosetta: But in Canada you do.
Inspector: In Canada we do.
Rosetta: All right.
Inspector: All police forces in Canada carry weapons.
Rosetta: What, how does this work, I mean your apprehension of the criminal. How
does your court system work in Canada?
Inspector: Well, it varies from province to province. In Alberta we have judges that sit
alone and hear the minor cases. They have absolute jurisdiction to hear a great, great
many criminal cases, federal statute cases, provincial statute cases. In some of the more
serious offenses the person accused has an opportunity to elect trial by judge alone or by
judge and jury.
Rosetta: Oh, they have, they can choose.
Inspector: Yes. They can either elect trial by judge alone or elect trial by judge and jury
and if they elect trial by judge and jury, a preliminary hearing is held to establish whether
or not there’s a case to present to the higher court.
Rosetta: How do you, what is your breakdown? I mean, we have, you are an inspector.
Inspector: Yes.
Rosetta: All right. How do you become an inspector? Let’s give the breakdown.
Inspector: Well, when you engage in the force, you engage as a third class constable.
We do recruit from the university level now and university graduates are engaged as first
class constables. The next rank, which comes in about nine, ten, eleven years, is
corporal, and that’s the first non- commissioned rank. Then you go through corporal,
sergeant, staff sergeant. We do have some sergeants major, staff sergeant major, and
corps sergeant major. The first commissioned rank is what we call sub inspector and this
is a Queen’s commission. You go from sub inspector to inspector to superintendent,
chief superintendent, assistant commissioner, deputy commissioner and commissioner.
We have one commissioner.
Rosetta: What kind of training does the mounted police have?
Inspector: Present day training consists of, recruit training, consists of six months in
Regina, intensive, vigorous training.
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Rosetta: Just like Sergeant Preston had. ( Laughter)
Inspector: Yes, it’s very vigorous, more vigorous now I think that when I went through
26 years ago.
Rosetta: Oh, that isn’t, I don’t think that’s true for the world today, you know. They
always say we were tougher so many years ago, but you think they’re getting tougher
now.
Inspector: Well, I have a son in training now. He engaged in January and I’ve had an
opportunity to visit with him in Regina and look at the training that’s being carried out
there and it’s very, very strenuous, and good. The training covers the whole academic
and physical field, and after their graduation from Regina they go to a training
detachment for a further six months, where they’re closely supervised and trained in
police work.
Rosetta: Well, what about the crimes? Are crimes, are they universal, the world over?
Are your crimes, would you say, comparable to what we have here in the United States?
I’m sure you must have compared this somewhere along life’s way.
Inspector: I would say the crimes are universal. Naturally it depends on the
environment. You’ll find in one city that a certain type of crime is popular, shop
breaking might be more popular one place. In a farming community, cattle theft would
be the crime that you’re concerned with, or theft of horses or saddles, equipment like that,
or farm machinery. The names differ from Canada to the United States in describing the
crimes. That’s about the only difference I think.
Rosetta: Do you have drugs; do you have a drug problem in Canada?
Inspector: Oh, yes, we have a drug problem. The drug problem is increasing I think and
more people are getting into the so called hard drug, such as heroin, and this is our
biggest concern right now, trafficking in heroin. The marijuana situation is the same in
Canada as it is in the States, it’s suddenly blossomed over the last few years and it’s
causing us a lot of concern.
Rosetta: Let’s deviate now and get into the area of some of the social things that you do,
some of things that we see. You have grand balls and social events that we hear about
down here.
Inspector: Well, we have a Subdivision Ball and this year it’s on May 26. And we’re
calling it our Centennial Ball this year, celebrating our 100th birthday. Each subdivision
has an annual ball and we stick to the traditions of a formal ball. The men wear their red
serge uniforms and the ladies wear their long dresses and it’s a gala event. We’re called
upon to attend many functions in the community in a formal way, wear our dress
uniforms and we try to involve ourselves as much as possible in the community.
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Rosetta: Do you still ride horses?
Inspector: We still have the Musical Ride which is a pretty famous ride. The recruit
training no longer involves equitation. The horse ranch has been moved from the
Cypress Hills in Fort Walsh to Pakenham near Ottawa, Ontario, and the only horse
training now is to equip men to carry on the Musical Ride. The Musical Ride’s going to
be in Fort Macleod on July 15 and it will be a wonderful opportunity for people in
Montana to go up and see it. It’s also going to be at Calgary at the Stampede from July 5
through 14. We’re going to have the Flare Square at Calgary Stampede during this same
period of time and this will have displays of the force, covering our origins and our
contemporary work and modern techniques.
Rosetta: What is the history of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police? You said you’re
going to have your 100th Centennial. How did it become organized?
Inspector: Well, in 1867 the Dominion of Canada was formed under the leadership of Sir
John A. Macdonald, and at that time the Northwest Territories, which is now Alberta and
Saskatchewan, was to all intents and purposes just a large buffalo pasture, no law and
order at all. The Hudson Bay Company owned most of the property in Canada and they
were charged with the responsibility to provide law and order, but no effective means
was adopted to do this. In 1873 in May the government passed a bill in Ottawa creating
the Northwest Mounted Police. In 1874 these men who had been assembled into what is
now Winnipeg, Manitoba, began their trek to the Northwest Territories, which is now
Alberta. They stopped at Montana in route to arrange for supplies in Fort Benton, picked
up Jerry Potts, who was to become a very popular guide and interpreter with the force,
contributed a great deal to our success, meeting our obligations, and we’ve been here ever
since.
Rosetta: Yes, you certainly have. Now why are you in Helena today Inspector Gordon?
Inspector: Actually, Mr. Bruce Lanthorn, who has a law enforcement class at Carroll
College, invited me down to speak to his class. I spoke to them last night about our
history and the organization of the force and I’m heading back to Alberta tomorrow.
Rosetta: We attended a dinner party together last night, the Inspector and I and some
other people and I was so hoping you’d wear your dress uniform today. It was beautiful,
it was dark. Why don’t you describe some of the uniforms you have for the listeners.
The one you had on last night.
Inspector: The one I had on last night was an undress uniform it consisted of a blue
tunic, white shirt, blue tie, and blue overalls with gold stripe down the side of the leg,
congress boots with what we call box spurs.
Rosetta: Yes, he had on spurs. And you wore them right there in the hostesses house.
You do this all the time.
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Inspector: Yes, we don’t wear the blue uniform. I wear a brown jacket and brown slacks
as my work uniform and my khaki shirt and tie. Our other ranks right now are wearing
their boots and breeches with a brown jacket. Their dress uniform is boots and breeches
with a red serge jacket and a Stetson hat. For walking out, such as the Fallen Law, they
would replace the boots and breeches with the same type of trouser that I wore last night,
the blue overalls with congress boots and box spurs.
Rosetta: How selective does it become for one to become a member of the Royal
Canadian Mounted Police. I mean, what qualifications does a young man have to have?
Inspector: He has to be at least 19 years of age before he’s engaged. He can apply when
he’s 18. He must be 5’ 8 or taller and have a grade 11 education, be a British subject or a
naturalized Canadian and be of good moral conduct character. Our standards are very
high and we feel that once a member of the force is trained and then goes out into the
field, he has a great deal of authority. And the responsibility that has to go with that
authority is kind of awesome. So we pick and choose and make sure that our people are,
as far as we can ascertain, the best material there is.
Rosetta: Do you always have candidates, enough candidates for this?
Inspector: Yes, we don’t seem to have a problem. The character investigations take
some time and there are always long delays from the time a man applies until the time
he’s engaged, but it depends on circumstances. If we get a sudden increase in
establishment for some particular reason, then we might have to get out and do a little
active recruiting beyond what we normally do. We don’t seem to have too much of a
problem.
Rosetta: Well, you look like an everyday American man today, with your business suit
on, but last night I was just dazzled, Inspector, ( laughter) absolutely, and I love the way
Canada has so many events and I hope to be able to do that. Thank you so much for
coming down and being our guest today.
Inspector: Well it’s been a real pleasure. Thank you very much.
Rosetta: He is a real gentleman. I was not at my best when I was interviewing the
Inspector. I was at my best when I met him the night before, but I was not at my best
when I was doing the interview the next day, it had been a very, very busy day.
Ron: Did you ask him if they always get their man?
Rosetta: Gosh. Well, we had kidded about Sergeant Preston, “ On King” and I didn’t
want to say anything on the tape about that because I’d given him such a bad time about
that.
Ron: Did you ask him if they always ride horses? Or do they get to ride cars now?
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Rosetta: Well, he mentioned the horses. They do this whole thing now, this ceremonial
thing. They get to get in the car now, once in awhile.
Ron: With their spurs.
Rosetta: Yes, with their spurs. That just was funny and when he said his blue overalls,
cover alls or whatever he called them, this is a very fine fabric, a very soft beautiful
fabric.
Ron: Breeches.
Rosetta: And breeches. They are a colorful group and very gentlemanly, I must say
because really, I knew I didn’t feel up to doing the interview when I did it, but I carried it
off well. I mean I can see that he’s had to be faced with other situations where he had to
carry off whether the other party was responding or not. Beautiful man.
Caller: Possibly the origin of “ they always get their man” could have occurred back in
the early periods of the force where one mounted policeman trailed two men far north
after they had allegedly murdered a priest and the total elapsed time was two years it took
them to locate these people and they brought them out to Edmonton for trial. The trial
ensued and the court found that they were not aware of the white man’s law and so on
and so forth and they were eventually released and allowed to return to their home.
Ron: That’d almost be, I don’t know, I suppose that was almost discouraging.
Caller: I thought I might mention that.
Ron: Well, I thank you for calling. Bye.
Rosetta: And I’m glad he corrected me. I had Inspector Vern Gordon written on my
calendar page. It is Inspector Glenn Gordon, Inspector Glenn Gordon. Hm. So they do
always get their man.
Ron: Well. They did.
( Laughter)
Rosetta: 442- 6161 with whatever you’d like to discuss. We haven’t had Scooter Scoop
for a little while either, so I think I will go into that while we’re waiting for our next call.
Former Governor Tim Babcock, and very nearly Ron and my former boss, as soon as the
sale is all taken care of, will show color slides at the Arm Chair Travel Club Thursday,
April 12, at Mrs. Kat Miskowitz’s home, she’s the president of the Garden Club. The
meeting is slated at 8 p. m. at the Bell Room, 506 N. Park, not at the home but at the Bell
Room, 516 N. Park. Mr. Babcock visited Iraq and Iran recently as a representative of the
Occidental International American Trade Council and while there he took pictures of the
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countries’ people and the historical points of interest. The slides portray the conduct of
their daily lives highlighting their customs and culture. Mrs. Miskowitz said tickets are
available at the door and the public is invited and all proceeds will be used for
landscaping the grounds at the Governor’s Old Mansion. This stately home at 6th and
Ewing is listed in the American Heritage’s National Register of Historic Places. Again,
that’s going to be Thursday night, 8 o’clock, Bell Room of the Telephone Company.
Ron: Okay, another caller, go ahead please.
Caller: Yes. I wonder if anything has been found out about who or what caused the fire
at the Neighborhood Center on State Street last week?
Ron: Hm.
Caller: At the back door and upstairs was all on fire, the new building.
Ron: Okay, we’ll find out. Thank you. I don’t know whether anything was found out.
Rosetta: I don’t know either. The Alcoholism and Drug Association of Southwestern
Montana will hold its monthly meeting Wednesday, April 11, at 7: 30 p. m. in the Junior
High School Library. Speaker for the evening will be Les Tanberg, director of the
Helena Drug Satellite Center. President Tom McHugh invites all persons interested to
attend this.
Caller: I enjoyed your program, Rosetta, as always. Here’s a little bright thing. I had a
beautiful, beautiful blue bird in my yard, and I’ve never seen one so blue and so big for a
blue bird.
Ron: Aha.
Caller: And that was last Monday and of course we always have grosbeaks and starlings
and sparrows, but every time we have a snow in April, robins descend on my hedge and
believe it or not, and my daughter can verify it, and I counted them several times, there
were these great, great big fat robins and there were 39 of them.
Rosetta: 39?
Caller: That’s the most I’ve ever had. In April every year after the snow they just come
down and stay in my hedge until it lifts and then they go. Gosh, there’s still about seven
hanging around, but every year two of them build, they have a nest in the big tree in the
back and they have their little bluebirds, I mean little robins every spring. So now there
are about seven hanging around. But 39. Last year they were in the 20s, about 25, and
the year before that, 22.
Ron: Sounds like it’s increasing every year.
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Caller: Yes, of course they leave as soon as they can and I don’t know where they go,
but they’re just beautiful. It’s hard to believe.
Ron: Well, we thank you for calling. Bye now.
Rosetta: And a report from our bird lady. I thought maybe we’d lost our bird lady after
Ron said what he said about them.
Ron: What’d I say?
Rosetta: A month or two ago.
Ron: What’d I say? I don’t remember saying anything.
Rosetta: Our listeners are loyal to the core. You can insult them and do what you want
but they come back.
Ron: Well, what did I say? I can’t remember.
Rosetta: Oh, forget it. I don’t want to bring it up. It’s one of those things better left
alone. And I’m glad she called.
Ron: Okay, well we’ll take another call right after this.
( Music)
Caller: Well, you aren’t going to believe this and this isn’t a crank call or anything, but I
was walking to work this morning and I saw a seagull flying around and if that isn’t a
sign of spring I’d like to know what is.
( Laughter)
Ron: Well, you watch those seagulls when they fly around, will ya?
Caller: Yeah. Well, after living in Utah...
Ron: Oh, you know.
Caller: I know what a seagull sounds like and that was a seagull.
Ron: Okay, well I thank you for calling. Bye now. See the rewards of working, I mean
walking to work? Let me reword that, rewards of working I haven’t discovered those yet,
rewards of walking to work in the morning. Fantastic.
Rosetta: Well, that’s true. When you walk or bicycle, even motorcycle.
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Ron: You see things.
Rosetta: You see things and he saw a seagull. Try saying that, Ron.
Ron: He saw a seagull by the seashore sipping…
Rosetta: Seaweed.
Ron: Seaweed, yeah.
Rosetta: Well, I’m going to continue with our announcements this morning. The lazy
eye screening program is today, April 9, at the Jefferson School from 9: 30 until 6.
( Tape cuts to caller.)
Caller: …. Anderson said that the water supplies might be very short this summer. I was
wondering if it’s possible to use prison labor, an institutional labor, paying them, of
course, to reinforce the areas that are burned over. All the snow sheds are being burned
out. And why wouldn’t it be possible to use these people out in good healthy conditions
and lower the tax on the prison there. Men are in there, crowded, sit around and do
nothing but think of other things to do when they get out and same way as Miles City.
These fellas, these boys, could be put out there in good healthy conditions, feed ‘ em
good, treat ‘ em good, and we, the taxpayer would get something back for his money. It
seems as though it cost around $ 9-$ 10,000 a year to keep a man in Deer Lodge. Well if it
cost that much to keep him in Deer Lodge, it shouldn’t cost that much to keep him out in
the woods where his mind is taken up with other things besides crime.
Ron: Okay, well…
Caller: And the taxpayer would have something back for the money where we’re running
out of snow sheds and if we don’t do something our kids that are coming are going to
have a rough go of it.
Ron: Okay, well thank you for calling. You through rustling around in there?
Rosetta: Well, I had some other announcements I wanted to make and they were buried
under some things here and I just found them. Stopped in early this morning to see
Arlene at the Bread Basket and chatted with her about her breakfasts and they do have
yummy breakfasts. I looked at those big old fat cinnamon rolls and thought sure I was
going to have time to eat one but didn’t. Oh, she makes good food. You know she has,
she didn’t tell me this, but I was back in her kitchen, and she cooks with all real butter. I
don’t know how she can afford it ( laughter). But everything is real butter and this very
fine health foods flour. She uses special oils when she uses oil in her cooking. But the
thing she wants to promote this week are her breakfasts. This week and next week you’ll
have to try her breakfasts. She has something called scrapple and it’s a southern dish
made with cornmeal and it’s delicious and I don’t know if she’s going to serve it every
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day, she might if it becomes popular, but it is served on Sundays. And she has a
gingerbread waffle that’s served with whipped crème and that’s delicious. Just a good
place to eat. The Bread Basket. If you are one who eats out in the morning, have
breakfast at The Bread Basket. And on Sunday mornings especially and plan your Easter
breakfast at The Bread Basket in the Hustad Center on Helena Avenue.
Ron: Okay, we have another caller. Go ahead please.
Caller: Yeah, I think the man that said about bringing these fellas out to help build up
our forests and our watersheds again would be a very good idea. And as for the poor
taxpayer I understand now the vocational school the girls bedrooms and everything were
getting wall- to- wall carpeting and you know that’s just wonderful because how many of
the taxpayers can afford it themselves.
Ron: Okay. Thank you.
Caller: You’re welcome.
Ron: Okay, did you have something else you wanted to talk about?
Rosetta: Yes, I wanted to say the Helena League of Women Voters meeting will be held
at 9: 30 a. m. at St. Peter’s Episcopal Church with a sitter available and at 7: 30 p. m. at St.
Paul’s Methodist Church on April the 10th, tomorrow. The meeting will concern land use
and management and the public is invited. Yes, I’ll announce this on the air. The Holy
Cross Parrish of Townsend which is to be held on Saturday, April 14, at 1 p. m. and it’s
their Annual Luncheon and Style Show. It will be held in the Holy Cross Church Youth
Center. Styles will be shown from many Helena stores as well as from Townsend
merchants. There will be a charge of $ 2 per person and reservations are not necessary.
This Saturday, April 14, is Aloha- ma- la- heni. Welcome newcomers to the Newcomers
fashion show, bridge party, luncheon. For reservations call 442- 8039 or 442- 4548 and
you do not necessarily have to be a newcomer to go to this luncheon, it’s just a fun thing
to do.
Ron: I want to say that the Montana Hunter Safety Instructors had a very fine meeting
the other night. And very fine food, which I got to sample.
Rosetta: How did you do, Ron?
Ron: I stood there and fumbled around. ( laughter)
Rosetta: Ron was the master of ceremonies at the Hunter Safety. Did you see my friend
Joyce McDuffie?
Ron: Yes, Joyce in fact was presented an award, a special award.
Rosetta: She wins more awards than any single person.
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Ron: Does she have a special room for her awards?
Rosetta: Well, yes. They’re renting, thinking about the Civic Center wall, as a matter of
fact. ( laughter) Remember Joyce McDuffie? McDuffie’s Western Bowl, I guess I can
mention it.
Ron: Yes. Well, you even discovered she was making a safety film down in Virginia
here not long ago.
Rosetta: Yeah, last week, she told me she’d never want to be a movie star, ever, ever.
She was doing a film on survival. I should have her come and tell this story herself, it’s
priceless. She was doing a film on survival and she said, “ Believe me it was a lot tougher
making a survival film than trying to survive,” with her ideas, because she said she had to
build a fire. When you have to build a fire from scratch out in the woods for survival,
when you get it going you just let it go. But she had to build that fire FIVE times to get it
going and when you climb up a steep mountain in, when you’re trying to survive in the
forest, she said, once you get to the top, that’s it, man, you made it. But not when you do
the film. You climb up.
Ron: You keep climbing it
Rosetta: … and climbing.
Ron: Take 2, take 3.
Rosetta: So it was interesting. Someday I’ll have her come tell about her experiences.
This is going to be released nationally. Movie star!
Ron: Hey, hey. That’s our Joyce.
Rosetta: That’s our Joyce.
Ron: Okay, we have a caller. Go ahead please.
Caller: Yes, I listened to your program all last week, maybe I missed it. Did you tell
how much leisure time people have in these penal institutions? I just wonder, when you
take the average housewife today, or homemaker, she’s now beginning to be expected to
work an eight hour day off someplace and then put in another 4- 8 hour shift at home. If
you don’t call that being a prisoner, I don’t know what is.
Ron: ( laughter) You’re ready to revolt, huh?
Caller: Well, I stop and think, well who’s the prisoner, the taxpayer or the person in the
institution who has lots of leisure?
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Ron: Yeah, leisure to me is punishment, frankly.
Caller: Like we say, any person who’s worth their salt should at least be able to earn
their own board and room. So maybe we don’t like calls that tell us we should work the
prisoners because way back I guess they did abuse these people and make slaves of them,
you know just get them like this, and that wasn’t fair. But on the other hand, it isn’t fair
to make a prisoner of the taxpayer for those that don’t obey the law, either.
Ron: Okay. Thank you. That is the truth to me. That much leisure would be probably
one of the worst punishments in the world.
Rosetta: When I was there, I didn’t see anyone ( tape problem). Work is therapy for most
everyone.
Ron: What we hear from the prisoners returning from Viet Nam talking about all, if you
want to call it leisure time, and it is a punishment because, for most of us anyway,
because it is hard to exist under these conditions. Okay we have a caller, go ahead
please.
Caller: Well, you know, like she said today, why the young housewife is up there trying
to buy a home or start to build up something so they’ll have a little some set away in the
future, and they’re keeping the taxpayers working real hard, keeping their nose to the
grindstone. They really don’t want them to get out and start looking to see where all this
money’s going and all this programming and everything, that the fat cats are sitting on.
And you’d better believe they don’t. So let’s keep the taxpayers busy or the boom might
break.
Ron: Okay, thank you for calling.
Caller: You’re welcome.
Ron: I think it depends on what program you’re interested in, according to whether it’s
the one that you’re not interested in.
Rosetta: Oh, you are. All right. Mildred Scherdean. You are the New York
representative for the Community Concert Association. And this, what’s happening in
Helena this week?
Mildred: Rosell, this is.
Rosetta: Rosetta.
Mildred: Rosetta. It’s been two years since I have seen you.
Rosetta: I know, I know, we have worked together before.
14
Mildred: Rosetta, it is the 42nd Annual Campaign of Community Concerts in Helena.
And we have already taken holds on two very exciting concerts and just finished a year
that included a symphony and I don’t know what else that you have had. You’ve had
four big concerts and we are planning at least four concerts this year. And we’re having
the Bayanihan Philippine Dance Company, 27 plus an orchestra of 12; gorgeous girls,
beautiful, handsome young men, in the most colorful, exciting dance routines the
Philippines is capable of - dances from the provinces, dances with the influence of
Malaya, Arabia, Spain, and of course, North America. And that is going to be a very,
very exciting, colorful dance group. Then we are also having the Canadian Opera
Company doing Porcine Van Toity, that’s “ Women are Like That” in English. And it is
going to be accompanied by a full orchestra that is being provided by the Canada Council
free of charge to tour with that group, so we already we have a dance group and a play
because when you get the opera into English and it’s a comedy, you have a musical
comedy. So we have two great, great things coming up with lots of singing and dancing
and orchestras.
Rosetta: Activity.
Mildred: And a lot of flashing activity and it’s really going to be fun and of course
Mozart’s music is great and it’s suppose to be the funniest thing he had ever done. So
you’re in for a lot of treats this coming season here in Helena. And our headquarters this
year, the National Bank Downtown, and it’s in the window where we have our
headquarters and there will be someone there from 9 to 5 Monday through Saturday of
this week. Our fees are $ 10 for adults and $ 5 for students so be sure and get in on this
wonderful thing. We were nearly sold out last year. Some year we are going to be
swinging from the chandeliers.
Rosetta: I have one comment I’d like to make. I was lying in bed this morning thinking
that you were coming down today and I felt so awful I missed the Utah Symphony, our
last concert. I was ill and I didn’t, it never even crossed my mind. And I have this ticket.
I could have given it to someone. I know there are so many senior citizens that love this
kind of thing and some of them can’t afford buying a membership. And often times
people say “ Well, I don’t think we’ll get a membership, because I’m not sure we can
make all the concerts.” I can’t think of a more philanthropic thing to do, a more
compassionate thing to do if they are going to have a night they can’t make it, to call the
Senior Citizens Center or to give it to someone, it’s the greatest thing that they can do.
Mildred: Music or anything cultural shouldn’t be wasted. You may have a friend that
just came to town that would enjoy using your membership the night that you can’t use it.
There are any number of things that you can do with your membership card except give it
away forever ( laughter).
Rosetta: I have a dear little lady friend that if I feel I’m not going to make it, she uses it,
and I just, I’m so glad. It just makes me feel good because if I’m not there I know
someone is there using it who really enjoys it. Now the tickets, the memberships are on
sale and this is the only time they can buy them.
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Mildred: This is the week we do it. We do not sell individual tickets at the door. It’s by
subscription basis only so if you would like to enjoy the wonderful concerts that the
Community Concert Association presents in the city of Helena, this is the week to do it.
If someone does not contact you, then you come down to the headquarters at the National
Bank downtown and there will be plenty of persons there to help you enroll for the next
year or answer your questions.
Rosetta: Now these are the two concerts planned. How many concerts in all?
Mildred: Probably four. We’ve been in the habit of having four. We have even had a
bonus concert a time or two depending upon how our finances are, of course, at the end
of the campaign.
Rosetta: What keeps the Community Concert going like this, Mildred? It just goes on
year after year after year.
Mildred: It is the very vital interest of a certain group of persons in each community.
There are many persons who like to go to things, but, you know, they don’t, they won’t
work it. And you have to have a very interested working group of people and it’s the
same type group in almost every town and large city that sees to it that the community in
which they live has the greatest cultural things presented that they are capable of getting
for them. And you have such a thing going here in Helena and you have had for 42
years.
Rosetta: Gosh, that’s a long time.
Mildred: It certainly is.
Rosetta: We see, sometimes people coming into town think, and those who’ve lived here
all their lives think it’s not very progressive, or nothing happens here in Helena, and it
does. And we’ve always been ahead a step or two.
Mildred: You have been ahead a step or two and you have people who are interested in
keeping this the nicest town possible because they live here. One thing that always
strikes me is how nicely dressed the people are in Montana and you know metropolitan
areas are far apart. Fashion- wise the ladies in Helena and any of the other metropolitan
areas of Montana are just as beautifully turned out as they are any place in the world.
Rosetta: I’m glad you said that because I’m not a world traveler, but I have been around
the United States, and I always feel that way, I always feel like I look as good as the next
person ( laughter). And Montanan’s are sort of this way, we are not backward, and I’m
glad you said that.
16
Mildred: Another thing I want to tell you. There are no women in the world that can
wear their pants like a western women can. I don’t care what the fashions are in Europe,
no one can wear their pants like a western woman.
Rosetta: Did you hear that, gals, you’re built just right for those western pants. Mildred
is giving me a weather report across the nation. She left Denver yesterday and said “ Talk
about snow and ice and cold,” so we shouldn’t complain too much.
Mildred: No, except I think you need the snow, don’t you?
Rosetta: Yeah, we really do need the snow. I hope we get more snow. I’m looking at
this brochure you brought of the Philippine Dance Company and those girls are exquisite,
you aren’t kidding. They’re gorgeous.
Mildred: They are just beautiful. That’s the Bayanihan Philippine Dance Company
that’s coming to Helena from the Philippines, 27 handsome young men and beautiful
young girls, young ladies, gorgeous costumes, great dancing and they’re accompanied by
a native orchestra of 12 pieces.
Rosetta: How unusual.
Mildred: And that’s going to be fun to see. The dancing, many of the dances, are from
the Provinces of the Philippines and I lived there once and I remember the one dance they
do with the bamboo poles and the dancers dance in their bare feet in and out of these
bamboo poles while they are being clacked back and forth together.
( Music)
Mildred: And then they have hunting dances.
Rosetta: And we’re out of time. Again the tickets are on sale in the window of the First
National Bank. They can go there and they cost, the adult season membership is $ 10?
Mildred: Students, $ 5 for the entire series of four concerts.
Rosetta: Well, a lot of entertainment for the money. Thank you so much Mildred
Scherdean for being here. Tomorrow on Scooter we will talk about our library as this is
National Library Week and our librarian Clint DeSonia will be down as well as someone
from the Newcomer’s Club to talk about their fashion show this coming Saturday. It’s
been a busy, busy day. Appreciate what little snow we have and we’ll be joining you
tomorrow. Bye- bye for now.
( End of interview)
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Interviewed by Rosetta Kamlowsky on April 9, 1973 for the Scooter radio show on KBLL radio. Glenn Gordon (referred to as Vern during the interview) was an inspector with the Royal Canadian Mounted Police; Mildred Scherdean was a representative for the Community Concert Association from New York City.

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Scooter Radio Program
Rosetta Kamlowsky Tapes
Gordon, Scherdean
Interview date: April 9, 1973 ( reel- to- reel is labeled 9- 9- 73)
( Tape Announcer: This is Rosetta’s program for April 9, 1973, recorded on track 2 in the
forward direction. First you will hear Rosetta interviewing Inspector Vern ( Glenn)
Gordon of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, the delayed tape broadcast, and then you
will hear Mildred Scherdean, from New York City, representative for Community
Concert Association, as interviewed in the studio by Rosetta.)
Rosetta: We’re going to look into it folks and see if it can’t be fixed. Maybe tomorrow
we’ll have better theme music for you and you won’t have to hold your ears with pain.
Maybe it didn’t bother anyone. Well, it’s Monday morning and it’s cold, April the 9th.
Ron: It’s 31 degrees.
Rosetta: It’s cold and it was cold yesterday. I really wanted to get out and do some yard
work. I had the working bug over the weekend and I didn’t.
Ron: Got up to 40 degrees.
Rosetta: Oh, it was cold outside yesterday. I know it was cold. Well the kids are all
back in school and this means that lots of moms are, yeah, Whoopee, as Ron says, sitting
back with a cup of coffee and relaxing this morning and that’s good. Everyone needs
some relaxation. Life doesn’t provide enough relaxation. Maybe we make our own tread
mills. Do you think so?
Ron: Very definitely, very definitely.
Rosetta: Yes. The windmills of our mind or the tread mills or whatever we have in our
life, we might create our own problems, our own way of life. Well today we’re going to
have on Scooter for you and I hope that you will listen because a very interesting man, a
charming man, Inspector Vern Gordon, who’s with the Royal Canadian Mounted Police,
or the Canadian Royal Mounted Police I guess that’s how I say it. And this is a very
prestigious group, very prestigious and has been for like a hundred years. And he tells
you about what he does up there in Canada, and we’re going to have Radio Remedies
where you call in, you may have some things stored up you want to talk about, Scooter
Scoop, and then later in the show we’ll have Mildred Scherdean down to talk about
what’s going to happen with our Community Concert season next year. Now here’s a
little something for you. Last week, Monday, a week ago today, we had Ruth Gleason on
with her Ice Box Muffin recipes and then we had no more announcements of the recipes
because we had what I term a heavy show week last week concerning people in crime.
So we didn’t mention it again. If you missed out on it, Ruth Gleason did give a recipe for
Ice Box Muffins last Monday. I have some left if you want to send a self- addressed
stamped envelope to me I’ll be happy to send you a copy of Ruth Gleason’s Ice Box
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Muffins and these muffins keep forever. I’ve made them and they’re so neat because you
can keep a big bowl full whipped up in the refrigerator and drag them out and make a few
muffins now and then whenever you want them. And so it is a good recipe. If you’d like
to have them send in a self addressed stamped envelope and I’ll mail it to you. Ron, if
you’re ready, I’m ready, for Inspector Vern Gordon.
Rosetta: Inspector Gordon, when we think of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police we
think of glamour and pomp and you’re beautiful in your red uniforms and the breeches,
and we think of you as being beautiful, glamorous people, but you do enforce the law.
Inspector Gordon: Yes, we’re policemen and we do the everyday police work across
Canada. Our force is a federal force, however, we have contracts with the provinces,
except for Ontario and Quebec, to do the provincial policing, which would be comparable
to your state police here in Montana.
Rosetta: Well, this is what I’d like you to do, to compare our law enforcement, the way
we have it here in the United States. We have state agencies and state police, but the
Royal Canadian Mounted Police are, they’re the federal. I mean, how does this work?
Inspector: Well, the force was constituted as a federal force, originally to maintain law
and order in the Northwest Territories. And we subsequently became responsible to
police eight of the ten provinces in the Northwest Territories and Yukon Territory. And
we carry out the policing within the province and enforce all provincial statutes and in
some municipalities we have contracts to enforce town policing. We don’t have the same
law enforcement set up you have in Montana, in that, for example, our sheriffs in Alberta
don’t enforce the criminal law. They’re more of a civil institution. And we enforce the
federal statutes right across Canada. In Ontario and Quebec we enforce the federal
statutes, although the provincial policing is done by a provincial police force. We’re also
responsible for the security of Canada as a federal force.
Rosetta: When you say you actually do policing in the towns, what does each town have
in Canada? What kind of law enforcement agency?
Inspector: Well, for example, in Lethbridge subdivision, we do the policing of all the
small towns under 1,500 on the provincial contract. Over 1,500 population the towns can
come to us and ask for a municipal contract and if we enter into an agreement with them
to police their town, we do all of the policing in that town. We don’t do licensing
bylaws, we don’t sell licenses or things like that at all, but we do the traffic enforcement,
liquor enforcement, criminal code and of the other duties, all law enforcement.
Rosetta: Do you carry a weapon?
Inspector: Yes, we carry a 38 Smith and Wesson revolver.
Rosetta: Where do I have in my mind that in, is it in England where they don’t carry
weapons? Is that right?
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Inspector: That’s correct.
Rosetta: But in Canada you do.
Inspector: In Canada we do.
Rosetta: All right.
Inspector: All police forces in Canada carry weapons.
Rosetta: What, how does this work, I mean your apprehension of the criminal. How
does your court system work in Canada?
Inspector: Well, it varies from province to province. In Alberta we have judges that sit
alone and hear the minor cases. They have absolute jurisdiction to hear a great, great
many criminal cases, federal statute cases, provincial statute cases. In some of the more
serious offenses the person accused has an opportunity to elect trial by judge alone or by
judge and jury.
Rosetta: Oh, they have, they can choose.
Inspector: Yes. They can either elect trial by judge alone or elect trial by judge and jury
and if they elect trial by judge and jury, a preliminary hearing is held to establish whether
or not there’s a case to present to the higher court.
Rosetta: How do you, what is your breakdown? I mean, we have, you are an inspector.
Inspector: Yes.
Rosetta: All right. How do you become an inspector? Let’s give the breakdown.
Inspector: Well, when you engage in the force, you engage as a third class constable.
We do recruit from the university level now and university graduates are engaged as first
class constables. The next rank, which comes in about nine, ten, eleven years, is
corporal, and that’s the first non- commissioned rank. Then you go through corporal,
sergeant, staff sergeant. We do have some sergeants major, staff sergeant major, and
corps sergeant major. The first commissioned rank is what we call sub inspector and this
is a Queen’s commission. You go from sub inspector to inspector to superintendent,
chief superintendent, assistant commissioner, deputy commissioner and commissioner.
We have one commissioner.
Rosetta: What kind of training does the mounted police have?
Inspector: Present day training consists of, recruit training, consists of six months in
Regina, intensive, vigorous training.
4
Rosetta: Just like Sergeant Preston had. ( Laughter)
Inspector: Yes, it’s very vigorous, more vigorous now I think that when I went through
26 years ago.
Rosetta: Oh, that isn’t, I don’t think that’s true for the world today, you know. They
always say we were tougher so many years ago, but you think they’re getting tougher
now.
Inspector: Well, I have a son in training now. He engaged in January and I’ve had an
opportunity to visit with him in Regina and look at the training that’s being carried out
there and it’s very, very strenuous, and good. The training covers the whole academic
and physical field, and after their graduation from Regina they go to a training
detachment for a further six months, where they’re closely supervised and trained in
police work.
Rosetta: Well, what about the crimes? Are crimes, are they universal, the world over?
Are your crimes, would you say, comparable to what we have here in the United States?
I’m sure you must have compared this somewhere along life’s way.
Inspector: I would say the crimes are universal. Naturally it depends on the
environment. You’ll find in one city that a certain type of crime is popular, shop
breaking might be more popular one place. In a farming community, cattle theft would
be the crime that you’re concerned with, or theft of horses or saddles, equipment like that,
or farm machinery. The names differ from Canada to the United States in describing the
crimes. That’s about the only difference I think.
Rosetta: Do you have drugs; do you have a drug problem in Canada?
Inspector: Oh, yes, we have a drug problem. The drug problem is increasing I think and
more people are getting into the so called hard drug, such as heroin, and this is our
biggest concern right now, trafficking in heroin. The marijuana situation is the same in
Canada as it is in the States, it’s suddenly blossomed over the last few years and it’s
causing us a lot of concern.
Rosetta: Let’s deviate now and get into the area of some of the social things that you do,
some of things that we see. You have grand balls and social events that we hear about
down here.
Inspector: Well, we have a Subdivision Ball and this year it’s on May 26. And we’re
calling it our Centennial Ball this year, celebrating our 100th birthday. Each subdivision
has an annual ball and we stick to the traditions of a formal ball. The men wear their red
serge uniforms and the ladies wear their long dresses and it’s a gala event. We’re called
upon to attend many functions in the community in a formal way, wear our dress
uniforms and we try to involve ourselves as much as possible in the community.
5
Rosetta: Do you still ride horses?
Inspector: We still have the Musical Ride which is a pretty famous ride. The recruit
training no longer involves equitation. The horse ranch has been moved from the
Cypress Hills in Fort Walsh to Pakenham near Ottawa, Ontario, and the only horse
training now is to equip men to carry on the Musical Ride. The Musical Ride’s going to
be in Fort Macleod on July 15 and it will be a wonderful opportunity for people in
Montana to go up and see it. It’s also going to be at Calgary at the Stampede from July 5
through 14. We’re going to have the Flare Square at Calgary Stampede during this same
period of time and this will have displays of the force, covering our origins and our
contemporary work and modern techniques.
Rosetta: What is the history of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police? You said you’re
going to have your 100th Centennial. How did it become organized?
Inspector: Well, in 1867 the Dominion of Canada was formed under the leadership of Sir
John A. Macdonald, and at that time the Northwest Territories, which is now Alberta and
Saskatchewan, was to all intents and purposes just a large buffalo pasture, no law and
order at all. The Hudson Bay Company owned most of the property in Canada and they
were charged with the responsibility to provide law and order, but no effective means
was adopted to do this. In 1873 in May the government passed a bill in Ottawa creating
the Northwest Mounted Police. In 1874 these men who had been assembled into what is
now Winnipeg, Manitoba, began their trek to the Northwest Territories, which is now
Alberta. They stopped at Montana in route to arrange for supplies in Fort Benton, picked
up Jerry Potts, who was to become a very popular guide and interpreter with the force,
contributed a great deal to our success, meeting our obligations, and we’ve been here ever
since.
Rosetta: Yes, you certainly have. Now why are you in Helena today Inspector Gordon?
Inspector: Actually, Mr. Bruce Lanthorn, who has a law enforcement class at Carroll
College, invited me down to speak to his class. I spoke to them last night about our
history and the organization of the force and I’m heading back to Alberta tomorrow.
Rosetta: We attended a dinner party together last night, the Inspector and I and some
other people and I was so hoping you’d wear your dress uniform today. It was beautiful,
it was dark. Why don’t you describe some of the uniforms you have for the listeners.
The one you had on last night.
Inspector: The one I had on last night was an undress uniform it consisted of a blue
tunic, white shirt, blue tie, and blue overalls with gold stripe down the side of the leg,
congress boots with what we call box spurs.
Rosetta: Yes, he had on spurs. And you wore them right there in the hostesses house.
You do this all the time.
6
Inspector: Yes, we don’t wear the blue uniform. I wear a brown jacket and brown slacks
as my work uniform and my khaki shirt and tie. Our other ranks right now are wearing
their boots and breeches with a brown jacket. Their dress uniform is boots and breeches
with a red serge jacket and a Stetson hat. For walking out, such as the Fallen Law, they
would replace the boots and breeches with the same type of trouser that I wore last night,
the blue overalls with congress boots and box spurs.
Rosetta: How selective does it become for one to become a member of the Royal
Canadian Mounted Police. I mean, what qualifications does a young man have to have?
Inspector: He has to be at least 19 years of age before he’s engaged. He can apply when
he’s 18. He must be 5’ 8 or taller and have a grade 11 education, be a British subject or a
naturalized Canadian and be of good moral conduct character. Our standards are very
high and we feel that once a member of the force is trained and then goes out into the
field, he has a great deal of authority. And the responsibility that has to go with that
authority is kind of awesome. So we pick and choose and make sure that our people are,
as far as we can ascertain, the best material there is.
Rosetta: Do you always have candidates, enough candidates for this?
Inspector: Yes, we don’t seem to have a problem. The character investigations take
some time and there are always long delays from the time a man applies until the time
he’s engaged, but it depends on circumstances. If we get a sudden increase in
establishment for some particular reason, then we might have to get out and do a little
active recruiting beyond what we normally do. We don’t seem to have too much of a
problem.
Rosetta: Well, you look like an everyday American man today, with your business suit
on, but last night I was just dazzled, Inspector, ( laughter) absolutely, and I love the way
Canada has so many events and I hope to be able to do that. Thank you so much for
coming down and being our guest today.
Inspector: Well it’s been a real pleasure. Thank you very much.
Rosetta: He is a real gentleman. I was not at my best when I was interviewing the
Inspector. I was at my best when I met him the night before, but I was not at my best
when I was doing the interview the next day, it had been a very, very busy day.
Ron: Did you ask him if they always get their man?
Rosetta: Gosh. Well, we had kidded about Sergeant Preston, “ On King” and I didn’t
want to say anything on the tape about that because I’d given him such a bad time about
that.
Ron: Did you ask him if they always ride horses? Or do they get to ride cars now?
7
Rosetta: Well, he mentioned the horses. They do this whole thing now, this ceremonial
thing. They get to get in the car now, once in awhile.
Ron: With their spurs.
Rosetta: Yes, with their spurs. That just was funny and when he said his blue overalls,
cover alls or whatever he called them, this is a very fine fabric, a very soft beautiful
fabric.
Ron: Breeches.
Rosetta: And breeches. They are a colorful group and very gentlemanly, I must say
because really, I knew I didn’t feel up to doing the interview when I did it, but I carried it
off well. I mean I can see that he’s had to be faced with other situations where he had to
carry off whether the other party was responding or not. Beautiful man.
Caller: Possibly the origin of “ they always get their man” could have occurred back in
the early periods of the force where one mounted policeman trailed two men far north
after they had allegedly murdered a priest and the total elapsed time was two years it took
them to locate these people and they brought them out to Edmonton for trial. The trial
ensued and the court found that they were not aware of the white man’s law and so on
and so forth and they were eventually released and allowed to return to their home.
Ron: That’d almost be, I don’t know, I suppose that was almost discouraging.
Caller: I thought I might mention that.
Ron: Well, I thank you for calling. Bye.
Rosetta: And I’m glad he corrected me. I had Inspector Vern Gordon written on my
calendar page. It is Inspector Glenn Gordon, Inspector Glenn Gordon. Hm. So they do
always get their man.
Ron: Well. They did.
( Laughter)
Rosetta: 442- 6161 with whatever you’d like to discuss. We haven’t had Scooter Scoop
for a little while either, so I think I will go into that while we’re waiting for our next call.
Former Governor Tim Babcock, and very nearly Ron and my former boss, as soon as the
sale is all taken care of, will show color slides at the Arm Chair Travel Club Thursday,
April 12, at Mrs. Kat Miskowitz’s home, she’s the president of the Garden Club. The
meeting is slated at 8 p. m. at the Bell Room, 506 N. Park, not at the home but at the Bell
Room, 516 N. Park. Mr. Babcock visited Iraq and Iran recently as a representative of the
Occidental International American Trade Council and while there he took pictures of the
8
countries’ people and the historical points of interest. The slides portray the conduct of
their daily lives highlighting their customs and culture. Mrs. Miskowitz said tickets are
available at the door and the public is invited and all proceeds will be used for
landscaping the grounds at the Governor’s Old Mansion. This stately home at 6th and
Ewing is listed in the American Heritage’s National Register of Historic Places. Again,
that’s going to be Thursday night, 8 o’clock, Bell Room of the Telephone Company.
Ron: Okay, another caller, go ahead please.
Caller: Yes. I wonder if anything has been found out about who or what caused the fire
at the Neighborhood Center on State Street last week?
Ron: Hm.
Caller: At the back door and upstairs was all on fire, the new building.
Ron: Okay, we’ll find out. Thank you. I don’t know whether anything was found out.
Rosetta: I don’t know either. The Alcoholism and Drug Association of Southwestern
Montana will hold its monthly meeting Wednesday, April 11, at 7: 30 p. m. in the Junior
High School Library. Speaker for the evening will be Les Tanberg, director of the
Helena Drug Satellite Center. President Tom McHugh invites all persons interested to
attend this.
Caller: I enjoyed your program, Rosetta, as always. Here’s a little bright thing. I had a
beautiful, beautiful blue bird in my yard, and I’ve never seen one so blue and so big for a
blue bird.
Ron: Aha.
Caller: And that was last Monday and of course we always have grosbeaks and starlings
and sparrows, but every time we have a snow in April, robins descend on my hedge and
believe it or not, and my daughter can verify it, and I counted them several times, there
were these great, great big fat robins and there were 39 of them.
Rosetta: 39?
Caller: That’s the most I’ve ever had. In April every year after the snow they just come
down and stay in my hedge until it lifts and then they go. Gosh, there’s still about seven
hanging around, but every year two of them build, they have a nest in the big tree in the
back and they have their little bluebirds, I mean little robins every spring. So now there
are about seven hanging around. But 39. Last year they were in the 20s, about 25, and
the year before that, 22.
Ron: Sounds like it’s increasing every year.
9
Caller: Yes, of course they leave as soon as they can and I don’t know where they go,
but they’re just beautiful. It’s hard to believe.
Ron: Well, we thank you for calling. Bye now.
Rosetta: And a report from our bird lady. I thought maybe we’d lost our bird lady after
Ron said what he said about them.
Ron: What’d I say?
Rosetta: A month or two ago.
Ron: What’d I say? I don’t remember saying anything.
Rosetta: Our listeners are loyal to the core. You can insult them and do what you want
but they come back.
Ron: Well, what did I say? I can’t remember.
Rosetta: Oh, forget it. I don’t want to bring it up. It’s one of those things better left
alone. And I’m glad she called.
Ron: Okay, well we’ll take another call right after this.
( Music)
Caller: Well, you aren’t going to believe this and this isn’t a crank call or anything, but I
was walking to work this morning and I saw a seagull flying around and if that isn’t a
sign of spring I’d like to know what is.
( Laughter)
Ron: Well, you watch those seagulls when they fly around, will ya?
Caller: Yeah. Well, after living in Utah...
Ron: Oh, you know.
Caller: I know what a seagull sounds like and that was a seagull.
Ron: Okay, well I thank you for calling. Bye now. See the rewards of working, I mean
walking to work? Let me reword that, rewards of working I haven’t discovered those yet,
rewards of walking to work in the morning. Fantastic.
Rosetta: Well, that’s true. When you walk or bicycle, even motorcycle.
10
Ron: You see things.
Rosetta: You see things and he saw a seagull. Try saying that, Ron.
Ron: He saw a seagull by the seashore sipping…
Rosetta: Seaweed.
Ron: Seaweed, yeah.
Rosetta: Well, I’m going to continue with our announcements this morning. The lazy
eye screening program is today, April 9, at the Jefferson School from 9: 30 until 6.
( Tape cuts to caller.)
Caller: …. Anderson said that the water supplies might be very short this summer. I was
wondering if it’s possible to use prison labor, an institutional labor, paying them, of
course, to reinforce the areas that are burned over. All the snow sheds are being burned
out. And why wouldn’t it be possible to use these people out in good healthy conditions
and lower the tax on the prison there. Men are in there, crowded, sit around and do
nothing but think of other things to do when they get out and same way as Miles City.
These fellas, these boys, could be put out there in good healthy conditions, feed ‘ em
good, treat ‘ em good, and we, the taxpayer would get something back for his money. It
seems as though it cost around $ 9-$ 10,000 a year to keep a man in Deer Lodge. Well if it
cost that much to keep him in Deer Lodge, it shouldn’t cost that much to keep him out in
the woods where his mind is taken up with other things besides crime.
Ron: Okay, well…
Caller: And the taxpayer would have something back for the money where we’re running
out of snow sheds and if we don’t do something our kids that are coming are going to
have a rough go of it.
Ron: Okay, well thank you for calling. You through rustling around in there?
Rosetta: Well, I had some other announcements I wanted to make and they were buried
under some things here and I just found them. Stopped in early this morning to see
Arlene at the Bread Basket and chatted with her about her breakfasts and they do have
yummy breakfasts. I looked at those big old fat cinnamon rolls and thought sure I was
going to have time to eat one but didn’t. Oh, she makes good food. You know she has,
she didn’t tell me this, but I was back in her kitchen, and she cooks with all real butter. I
don’t know how she can afford it ( laughter). But everything is real butter and this very
fine health foods flour. She uses special oils when she uses oil in her cooking. But the
thing she wants to promote this week are her breakfasts. This week and next week you’ll
have to try her breakfasts. She has something called scrapple and it’s a southern dish
made with cornmeal and it’s delicious and I don’t know if she’s going to serve it every
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day, she might if it becomes popular, but it is served on Sundays. And she has a
gingerbread waffle that’s served with whipped crème and that’s delicious. Just a good
place to eat. The Bread Basket. If you are one who eats out in the morning, have
breakfast at The Bread Basket. And on Sunday mornings especially and plan your Easter
breakfast at The Bread Basket in the Hustad Center on Helena Avenue.
Ron: Okay, we have another caller. Go ahead please.
Caller: Yeah, I think the man that said about bringing these fellas out to help build up
our forests and our watersheds again would be a very good idea. And as for the poor
taxpayer I understand now the vocational school the girls bedrooms and everything were
getting wall- to- wall carpeting and you know that’s just wonderful because how many of
the taxpayers can afford it themselves.
Ron: Okay. Thank you.
Caller: You’re welcome.
Ron: Okay, did you have something else you wanted to talk about?
Rosetta: Yes, I wanted to say the Helena League of Women Voters meeting will be held
at 9: 30 a. m. at St. Peter’s Episcopal Church with a sitter available and at 7: 30 p. m. at St.
Paul’s Methodist Church on April the 10th, tomorrow. The meeting will concern land use
and management and the public is invited. Yes, I’ll announce this on the air. The Holy
Cross Parrish of Townsend which is to be held on Saturday, April 14, at 1 p. m. and it’s
their Annual Luncheon and Style Show. It will be held in the Holy Cross Church Youth
Center. Styles will be shown from many Helena stores as well as from Townsend
merchants. There will be a charge of $ 2 per person and reservations are not necessary.
This Saturday, April 14, is Aloha- ma- la- heni. Welcome newcomers to the Newcomers
fashion show, bridge party, luncheon. For reservations call 442- 8039 or 442- 4548 and
you do not necessarily have to be a newcomer to go to this luncheon, it’s just a fun thing
to do.
Ron: I want to say that the Montana Hunter Safety Instructors had a very fine meeting
the other night. And very fine food, which I got to sample.
Rosetta: How did you do, Ron?
Ron: I stood there and fumbled around. ( laughter)
Rosetta: Ron was the master of ceremonies at the Hunter Safety. Did you see my friend
Joyce McDuffie?
Ron: Yes, Joyce in fact was presented an award, a special award.
Rosetta: She wins more awards than any single person.
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Ron: Does she have a special room for her awards?
Rosetta: Well, yes. They’re renting, thinking about the Civic Center wall, as a matter of
fact. ( laughter) Remember Joyce McDuffie? McDuffie’s Western Bowl, I guess I can
mention it.
Ron: Yes. Well, you even discovered she was making a safety film down in Virginia
here not long ago.
Rosetta: Yeah, last week, she told me she’d never want to be a movie star, ever, ever.
She was doing a film on survival. I should have her come and tell this story herself, it’s
priceless. She was doing a film on survival and she said, “ Believe me it was a lot tougher
making a survival film than trying to survive,” with her ideas, because she said she had to
build a fire. When you have to build a fire from scratch out in the woods for survival,
when you get it going you just let it go. But she had to build that fire FIVE times to get it
going and when you climb up a steep mountain in, when you’re trying to survive in the
forest, she said, once you get to the top, that’s it, man, you made it. But not when you do
the film. You climb up.
Ron: You keep climbing it
Rosetta: … and climbing.
Ron: Take 2, take 3.
Rosetta: So it was interesting. Someday I’ll have her come tell about her experiences.
This is going to be released nationally. Movie star!
Ron: Hey, hey. That’s our Joyce.
Rosetta: That’s our Joyce.
Ron: Okay, we have a caller. Go ahead please.
Caller: Yes, I listened to your program all last week, maybe I missed it. Did you tell
how much leisure time people have in these penal institutions? I just wonder, when you
take the average housewife today, or homemaker, she’s now beginning to be expected to
work an eight hour day off someplace and then put in another 4- 8 hour shift at home. If
you don’t call that being a prisoner, I don’t know what is.
Ron: ( laughter) You’re ready to revolt, huh?
Caller: Well, I stop and think, well who’s the prisoner, the taxpayer or the person in the
institution who has lots of leisure?
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Ron: Yeah, leisure to me is punishment, frankly.
Caller: Like we say, any person who’s worth their salt should at least be able to earn
their own board and room. So maybe we don’t like calls that tell us we should work the
prisoners because way back I guess they did abuse these people and make slaves of them,
you know just get them like this, and that wasn’t fair. But on the other hand, it isn’t fair
to make a prisoner of the taxpayer for those that don’t obey the law, either.
Ron: Okay. Thank you. That is the truth to me. That much leisure would be probably
one of the worst punishments in the world.
Rosetta: When I was there, I didn’t see anyone ( tape problem). Work is therapy for most
everyone.
Ron: What we hear from the prisoners returning from Viet Nam talking about all, if you
want to call it leisure time, and it is a punishment because, for most of us anyway,
because it is hard to exist under these conditions. Okay we have a caller, go ahead
please.
Caller: Well, you know, like she said today, why the young housewife is up there trying
to buy a home or start to build up something so they’ll have a little some set away in the
future, and they’re keeping the taxpayers working real hard, keeping their nose to the
grindstone. They really don’t want them to get out and start looking to see where all this
money’s going and all this programming and everything, that the fat cats are sitting on.
And you’d better believe they don’t. So let’s keep the taxpayers busy or the boom might
break.
Ron: Okay, thank you for calling.
Caller: You’re welcome.
Ron: I think it depends on what program you’re interested in, according to whether it’s
the one that you’re not interested in.
Rosetta: Oh, you are. All right. Mildred Scherdean. You are the New York
representative for the Community Concert Association. And this, what’s happening in
Helena this week?
Mildred: Rosell, this is.
Rosetta: Rosetta.
Mildred: Rosetta. It’s been two years since I have seen you.
Rosetta: I know, I know, we have worked together before.
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Mildred: Rosetta, it is the 42nd Annual Campaign of Community Concerts in Helena.
And we have already taken holds on two very exciting concerts and just finished a year
that included a symphony and I don’t know what else that you have had. You’ve had
four big concerts and we are planning at least four concerts this year. And we’re having
the Bayanihan Philippine Dance Company, 27 plus an orchestra of 12; gorgeous girls,
beautiful, handsome young men, in the most colorful, exciting dance routines the
Philippines is capable of - dances from the provinces, dances with the influence of
Malaya, Arabia, Spain, and of course, North America. And that is going to be a very,
very exciting, colorful dance group. Then we are also having the Canadian Opera
Company doing Porcine Van Toity, that’s “ Women are Like That” in English. And it is
going to be accompanied by a full orchestra that is being provided by the Canada Council
free of charge to tour with that group, so we already we have a dance group and a play
because when you get the opera into English and it’s a comedy, you have a musical
comedy. So we have two great, great things coming up with lots of singing and dancing
and orchestras.
Rosetta: Activity.
Mildred: And a lot of flashing activity and it’s really going to be fun and of course
Mozart’s music is great and it’s suppose to be the funniest thing he had ever done. So
you’re in for a lot of treats this coming season here in Helena. And our headquarters this
year, the National Bank Downtown, and it’s in the window where we have our
headquarters and there will be someone there from 9 to 5 Monday through Saturday of
this week. Our fees are $ 10 for adults and $ 5 for students so be sure and get in on this
wonderful thing. We were nearly sold out last year. Some year we are going to be
swinging from the chandeliers.
Rosetta: I have one comment I’d like to make. I was lying in bed this morning thinking
that you were coming down today and I felt so awful I missed the Utah Symphony, our
last concert. I was ill and I didn’t, it never even crossed my mind. And I have this ticket.
I could have given it to someone. I know there are so many senior citizens that love this
kind of thing and some of them can’t afford buying a membership. And often times
people say “ Well, I don’t think we’ll get a membership, because I’m not sure we can
make all the concerts.” I can’t think of a more philanthropic thing to do, a more
compassionate thing to do if they are going to have a night they can’t make it, to call the
Senior Citizens Center or to give it to someone, it’s the greatest thing that they can do.
Mildred: Music or anything cultural shouldn’t be wasted. You may have a friend that
just came to town that would enjoy using your membership the night that you can’t use it.
There are any number of things that you can do with your membership card except give it
away forever ( laughter).
Rosetta: I have a dear little lady friend that if I feel I’m not going to make it, she uses it,
and I just, I’m so glad. It just makes me feel good because if I’m not there I know
someone is there using it who really enjoys it. Now the tickets, the memberships are on
sale and this is the only time they can buy them.
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Mildred: This is the week we do it. We do not sell individual tickets at the door. It’s by
subscription basis only so if you would like to enjoy the wonderful concerts that the
Community Concert Association presents in the city of Helena, this is the week to do it.
If someone does not contact you, then you come down to the headquarters at the National
Bank downtown and there will be plenty of persons there to help you enroll for the next
year or answer your questions.
Rosetta: Now these are the two concerts planned. How many concerts in all?
Mildred: Probably four. We’ve been in the habit of having four. We have even had a
bonus concert a time or two depending upon how our finances are, of course, at the end
of the campaign.
Rosetta: What keeps the Community Concert going like this, Mildred? It just goes on
year after year after year.
Mildred: It is the very vital interest of a certain group of persons in each community.
There are many persons who like to go to things, but, you know, they don’t, they won’t
work it. And you have to have a very interested working group of people and it’s the
same type group in almost every town and large city that sees to it that the community in
which they live has the greatest cultural things presented that they are capable of getting
for them. And you have such a thing going here in Helena and you have had for 42
years.
Rosetta: Gosh, that’s a long time.
Mildred: It certainly is.
Rosetta: We see, sometimes people coming into town think, and those who’ve lived here
all their lives think it’s not very progressive, or nothing happens here in Helena, and it
does. And we’ve always been ahead a step or two.
Mildred: You have been ahead a step or two and you have people who are interested in
keeping this the nicest town possible because they live here. One thing that always
strikes me is how nicely dressed the people are in Montana and you know metropolitan
areas are far apart. Fashion- wise the ladies in Helena and any of the other metropolitan
areas of Montana are just as beautifully turned out as they are any place in the world.
Rosetta: I’m glad you said that because I’m not a world traveler, but I have been around
the United States, and I always feel that way, I always feel like I look as good as the next
person ( laughter). And Montanan’s are sort of this way, we are not backward, and I’m
glad you said that.
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Mildred: Another thing I want to tell you. There are no women in the world that can
wear their pants like a western women can. I don’t care what the fashions are in Europe,
no one can wear their pants like a western woman.
Rosetta: Did you hear that, gals, you’re built just right for those western pants. Mildred
is giving me a weather report across the nation. She left Denver yesterday and said “ Talk
about snow and ice and cold,” so we shouldn’t complain too much.
Mildred: No, except I think you need the snow, don’t you?
Rosetta: Yeah, we really do need the snow. I hope we get more snow. I’m looking at
this brochure you brought of the Philippine Dance Company and those girls are exquisite,
you aren’t kidding. They’re gorgeous.
Mildred: They are just beautiful. That’s the Bayanihan Philippine Dance Company
that’s coming to Helena from the Philippines, 27 handsome young men and beautiful
young girls, young ladies, gorgeous costumes, great dancing and they’re accompanied by
a native orchestra of 12 pieces.
Rosetta: How unusual.
Mildred: And that’s going to be fun to see. The dancing, many of the dances, are from
the Provinces of the Philippines and I lived there once and I remember the one dance they
do with the bamboo poles and the dancers dance in their bare feet in and out of these
bamboo poles while they are being clacked back and forth together.
( Music)
Mildred: And then they have hunting dances.
Rosetta: And we’re out of time. Again the tickets are on sale in the window of the First
National Bank. They can go there and they cost, the adult season membership is $ 10?
Mildred: Students, $ 5 for the entire series of four concerts.
Rosetta: Well, a lot of entertainment for the money. Thank you so much Mildred
Scherdean for being here. Tomorrow on Scooter we will talk about our library as this is
National Library Week and our librarian Clint DeSonia will be down as well as someone
from the Newcomer’s Club to talk about their fashion show this coming Saturday. It’s
been a busy, busy day. Appreciate what little snow we have and we’ll be joining you
tomorrow. Bye- bye for now.
( End of interview)
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